Coal City American Legion Post #141 members Larry Newton Jr., Ernie Wilson, Arthur Bailey, Joe Mueller and Jack Hauser (left to right) helped deliver 20 bushel baskets of food to their neighbors on Friday, December 16. (Courtesy Photo) As he entered the room with his wife, he smiled. He was a familiar man in this community. He had married, raised a family here and knew he was one of the “lucky ones.” He didn’t talk much about his time served in the military – and when he did, it was mostly with other fellows who had served the same as he, when they were young. It was also because of this that one of the most rewarding things he had done in his life was to become a member of the Coal City American Legion Post #141.

It was his Legion that had sponsored the Christmas Dinner tonight (Saturday, December 17) for the community, and had asked Santa Claus to come and deliver presents to the young ones in the area. The day before the legionnaires had delivered 20 bushel baskets of food to their neighbors.

He finished his dinner with his wife, pushed back his chair, took a sip of coffee, leaned back and smiled. Here it was – this weekend – the weekend they had all worked for. He saw the young and old celebrating Christmas and knew that he and his Legion were blessed to do this... to help each other – to take care of each other – to give to each other. He also remembered that, most of all, it was their family and friends who had throughout the year donated to them to make this night possible.

He smiled to his wife, took her arm, tipped his legionnaire hat to everyone, wished them all a Merry Christmas and stepped out into the cold winter air, feeling blessed to belong to this organization. He turned once more and looked at the festivities inside the building, then opened the car door for his wife, looked up to the starry sky and said quietly, “God bless us, everyone” and headed for home.